Tom's Secret
by briuhr
Summary: There are mysteries all over at Hogwarts this year. Plus, two girls who are so different yet so...identical. What are their dark pasts? warning-OCs paired with characters from books!


Harry looked around. It was the dead of night at the Dursley's. They had left for a weekend retreat to some cabin two days ago, and would be back in a month, in time to bring him to the train station. Suddenly, he heard the swish of a cloak and he walked down the stairs to the living room, wand grasped firmly in his sweaty palm.

He whipped it up as he walked into the room, and he found his wand pointed directly at Professor Dumbledore's crooked nose.

The great wizard held a broomstick in his palm.

"Harry, I would like for you to come with me, if you would," Dumbledore said as he walked with Harry up to Harry's room. "I feel it would be safer than you riding the bus, since Voldemort would be able to sense if you would ride the Hogwarts train."

Dumbledore continued speaking as he made his way up the stairs. Harry trailed behind, dumbfounded.

"I'm sorry to drop in on such short notice, but you may not be safe while here. We will ride brooms, and in a week or so, we will Diagon Alley for your school supplies. Also, I've left your Aunt and Uncle a note." They reached Harry's room, and hurriedly packed Harry's bags, traveling by broomstick to Hogwarts. It was a long and strenuous trip.

**0o0o0o0o0**

"You know, Dark-Sib, the light does more good when you turn it on…"

"Light-sib, you are well aware we can see in the dark."

"Yes, but the Professor is coming up the stairs."

"So?"

There was a low whisper from beyond the door. Harry couldn't quite hear what was said. They were nearly to the top of the spiral stairs that led up to Dumbledore's study. With a small glance at Harry, Dumbledore gripped the handle.

He opened the door, stepping into the room. "It's quite all right, girls. Come out. There's someone I'd like you to meet."

Harry stopped in his tracks, looking around. Seeing no one, he glanced at Dumbledore in confusion. He turned back when Dumbledore nodded.

He blinked.

As he watched, a girl lying carelessly near the other side of the room (on the ground) peeled away one of the rare invisibility cloaks. His attention was drawn to a space not far away. As he watched, an identical young woman whipped away her own cloak. He looked back at the girl lying on the floor. She grinned at his discomfort. Harry looked her over slowly, eyes wide. She her arms were stretched out with her arms extended over her head, the silver-white silk that was her hair drifting over her pale skin. She was wearing a tight black tank top with (if it's possible) even tighter blue jeans. He glanced back at her twin, noting the exact out fit, except her tank top was white.

His eyes traveled back to the girl on the floor, entranced. He noted with a blush her soft curves before centering on her pale face.

He noted the fine structure of her cheekbones, narrow nose, and round lips.

Finally, he found her eyes. Moreover, when he did, he could only gasp.

Her eyes were _red_. When he turned to look at her double, he found her eyes were the exact same. Only hers were a bit more annoyed. He looked back at the girl on the floor. She grinned, rising to her feet finally.

She walked over to Harry and Dumbledore with a pleasant smile.

Dumbledore glanced back at a dumbstruck Harry. The boy looked confused, a look Dumbledore was well used to from Harry by now. With a smile, Dumbledore explained.

"These are my foster daughters," Dumbledore said. He gestured to the one formerly on the floor. "The smiling one's name is, Aerin, while the scowling one is Irein." He gestured to the one finally walking over. "Ladies, this is Harry Potter."

With a shared look, they said in unison, "Yes, we know."

Dumbledore blinked at the girls solemnly. "I should have known that." He murmured.

Harry looked from one girl to the other.

The one - Aerin?-no, Irein – rolled her eyes slightly, making a grim line with her mouth. "Don't be fooled by the colors. She's the nice one, not me," she snapped at Harry. He recognized the look in her eyes - hatred and frigid coldness.

He glanced back at who he now knew was Aerin. She smiled slightly. "She really does prefer to be around people. Unfortunately, we don't meet people often." She swung her silver hair away from her pale face. Now that it was actually properly around her face, he saw now it was cut at shoulder-length. It was the same for Irein. Aerin continued, "She's grown cold over our years here," she said with a look in her sister's direction.

"Just like Aerin has grown more docile. She used to be the wilder one out of us," Irein said sharply.

Aerin leaned over and stage-whispered to Harry, "You know, I'm usually the one with the temper. She's just upset she wasn't the one to… ah… _feel_ you two coming." He blinked as she gave him a grin.

Slowly, Harry turned to Dumbledore, questions in his eyes.

Dumbledore avoided eye contact for a moment, as Harry had grown so used to from last year. Harry felt disappointed, until he heard Dumbledore say softly, "Harry, girls… please take seats." Dumbledore gestured towards his desk, where three chairs now sat. Irein pouted, sitting down, while Aerin glanced at Harry, nodding for him to take his seat first. He took the seat farthest from Irein, leaving Aerin in the middle. She finally sat, and both the twins' red eyes were turned towards Professor Dumbledore. Harry slowly raised his green eyes to Dumbledore's blue ones.

"Let me start by saying it was never in my intentions to send these two into the public version of this school, which is why few are introduced to them. Unfortunately, lately I haven't had time to tutor them fully, though I have taught them much of what they would have learned in this school. With the recent events, I must place them in the care of the teachers because I've been… busy lately." Dumbledore sighed, crossing his long fingers, and then placed them at the bridge of his crooked nose.

He looked all of the children in front of him in the eyes, making sure all three understood what he was saying. He sighed before continuing. "This all really started before you were all born. So, let us start where you _all_ come in. For the twins, it starts about fifteen years ago, so that is where we'll start." Dumbledore sighed again, leaning back to adjust his glasses. "These two girls were born on October 13 of nearly 15 years ago, to their mother, a half veela, half witch. It explains their pale faces and silver-white hair, even though there father had dark hair.

Their father was not a very…nice… man, though he was brilliant. Their mother was a Prophetess of dreams… and she was said to be possessed… She was a beautiful woman. Their mother died soon after childbirth." Harry glanced over, and saw Aerin was looking over at him, a crease between her pale eyebrows. Harry's gaze lingered on her for a moment before sliding over to Irein. Much to his amazement, her eyes were drifting around the room, and she looked utterly bored. Harry looked back at Dumbledore and the Headmaster continued.

"Their father… abandoned them, and it was I that helped to find them. I took them in and raised them. He disappeared from the physical world… some may even say the living world."

Dumbledore's eyes finally focused on Harry's eyes, and Harry's eyes alone. "Their mother's maiden name was Era'ine Otso." Dumbledore paused before continuing. "Their fathers name was Tom Marvolo Riddle."


End file.
